Emails, The Library and … … STUFFFFFFF … !!

Hmmm …

You know, I’m seriously tempted — tempted, mind — to start this post with “This is going to be quick”.

But I’ve a funny feeling it mite not be …

Schrödinger’s Post, is the term I think we can get away with using, here, possibly …

At any rate, you may have guessed it …

My letter’s been published in the Gazette!

Which is handy.

What’s also nice to know is that I’ve heard from a friend of mine: whose sister has been referred here, by the Gazette!

Why, I’m not exactly sure, but it’s nice to know … !!

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But maybe that’s point for later … !!

At any rate, I’ve got admit, I was up town, earlier, and thought I’d look into Brentwood Library, to see how there machines are working.

Pure curiosity, I should add.

So, just as part of that curiosity, I’ve got to admit, I GIMPed up the poster you can see at the bottom of the pile, took it up to the library, and emailed to myself.

And, in case you hadn’t guessed, it’s sort of a nod at vintage role-playing-game, Traveller.

Which is possibly a bit geeky, I know, but those old Little Black Book designs were a touch iconic, I always think.

But, either way, while I’m disappointed they chose not to go with a Linux distro, I’ve got to admit that the reinstall of Windoze — and I didn’t think I’d say this — seems to have helped.

Still …

Never mind.

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Right, then, lets move on, shall we … ?

Yes, lets … !

Now, I mentioned earlier that I’d had a letter published in this weeks Gazette, didn’t I … ?

Yes, I did, didn’t I … ?

But, at any rate, I do know something caught my eye in the Gazette, this week.

About a local print and design shop, run by mental health charity, Rethink.

Now, Rethink have been doing some fantastic work, over the past few years: I’ve known people use it as both a print shop, and as service users.

So the Gazette running a story that the shop had lost it’s NHS funding?

That caught my eye.

And prompted me to write this …

Dear Sir,

I’ve got to admit, I read your article about Rethink Reprographic’s loss of funding with a great deal of sadness.

I’ve met plenty of people, over the years, who’ve been help by it and organisations like it. Both to get back into society, and as customers who need its printing services.

Now I know that groups like Rethink, along with NACRO, who do similar work in rehabilitating former prisoners, as well as the club for the visually impaired that your paper mentioned, all do fantastic work with service users and with those — like Rethink Reprographic’s customers — who have to deal with them.

Hearing about this …

Especially given that those of us with mental health issues, criminal records or disabilities, find it hard enough to deal with the employment market, when even Brentwood Council is letting staff — temporary or otherwise — go.

Well …

Rethink — and charities like it — losing vital funding is understandable, under the general atmosphere of cuts.

But is also a tragedy.

And a criminal loss of funds.

And, yes, before you ask, I know that the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders aren’t maybe the best comparison to use.

But it’s still one I think is valid: after all, from what I’ve picked up, over the years, they done a few bits and bobs, themselves: just not as publicly.

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At any rate, that’s where I think I’ll leave things, for now.

But one last thing I will add is that today is the last day for those of us who wanted to object to the flats planned for the end of Saint James Road.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to let you know what happens, there, as soon as I hear.

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Another News Zoo …

You know, isn’t it funny what you can pick up from France … ?

Me … ?

I got this lovely postcard from Sarah and Kevin D, from their recent travels …

Bless ’em!

I’ve got to admit, though, that today’s been the first chance I’ve had to scan them in: bless her, sarah popped the card — and some of the photo’s — over on Monday: the day after the D-Day teaser.

What’s funny is the family French villa isn’t that far from Cæn …

And Sword beach …

But I’m digressing, aren’t I … ?

I’ve actually had a reply from Eric Pickles, MP, Brentwood’s MP, following on from the Rethink email campaign I’d signed up for, last year.

Obviously, the £7, 000 laptop can’t be that good, if it takes him all that time … !

Says I …

The actual letter, itself, though … strikes me as being a bit bland, and non-commital.

Quite probably, I think I’d have a word with a couple of friends of mine, to see what they think.

I’ll let you know what they say.

Meanwhile, feel free to sign up for the Rethink email campaign, yourself …

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Let’s move on, shall we … ?

The other thing I was going to tell you about about was what I’m picking up about Rollason Way’s endless parking and road’s argument.

Or arguments, I should maybe say.

No, before you ask, I’ve not heard any more about the actual clamping scheme.

But I do know that one of the neighbours has been to see Crest Nicholson about getting their traffic diverted from one end of the street to the other.

To give you a basic summary, my flat is at one end of Rollason Way: the end nearest to the main part of Warley Hill.

Unfortunately, for various reasons, the other end — the unfinished end of the street — is the end that’s furthest from the junction with Saint James road and Warley Hill, itself.

Which means all of that lovely construction traffic still — occasionally — goes past my front room window.

Not too much of a bother, you’d think, as the sites almost finished.

Apart from a large gap, next to the block of flats where Adrian lives.

Which sounds like like it’s going to be another block of flats. Without much in the way of parking spaces, I should add.

Which, obviously means a lot more traffic.

Ho HUM!

But, from what I’m told, it seems that Crest Nicholson have bought a patch of land at the end of the street that’ll let their traffic exit and enter Rollason Way, via Kavannagh’s road.

Hopefully, that’ll mean that Rollason Way gets adopted by the relevant authorities, sooner, rather than later.

But I’ve got to wonder how long it’s going to take.

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And FINALLY : !

I’m going to close by thanking the team at Life, Dr Who and ComBom, once more, for giving me a mention in the Sunday Review round up!

Nice to get a mention!!

⌫⌧⌦

Just as a thought …

You know, it’s not often I get political.

Well …

Not THAT often …

Says I, smiling, slightly … !

But I had an email — from an old friend — about a mental health charity called Rethink.

Now, I don’t know if you’re thinking that’s possibly a strange thing to mention.

Possibly it is, possibly it isn’t.

I’m more inclined to the latter.

Especially when you consider that something like one in four of us will suffer some sort of mental illness at some point in our lives.

I think I’m gonna follow Terry Pratchett’s example, here, and name a personal demon. In the belief he has a point, lifted straight from the ancient pagan belief that naming a demon gives you power over it.

I’ll be straight-forward and tell you I’ve suffered with mild depression — on and off — for some years now.

Usually, so long as I keep taking the tablets — a very low dose of Fluoxetine — I can function perfectly well, thank you!

So when I got the email about Rethink’s campaign to spread awareness of that simple 1 in 4 statistic to both sitting MP’s, and Parliamentary candidates, I signed the petition, and forwarded it on.

And then thought I’d best put it on here.

Feel free to click on the link, folks: one of that one in four could be you, at some point.

•••••

Now, I’m gonna be honest, here, as well, both Movie Night Adrian and I were — sort of — busy, tonight, which is why we’re not having one of our usual Saturday Night Movie Nights, tonight.

Adrian, bless him, has to go to his nephew’s twenty-first, and I’ve got to get an early night, as I’m going to be helping Allison move into her new rooms.

Long day, tomorrow!!!!!!

But I do know that I managed to catch a little something, on BBC1, earlier …

Which — if Wikipedia’s right — means series 5 of Dr Who will be aired around the 4th April …

Comments, anybody … ?